


Penance

by RedPen1992



Series: Beast Au [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Graphic Description, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Character Injury, Punishment, Sakazuki doesn't deserve Borsalino, Serious Injuries, Torture, Were-Creatures, selflessness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:53:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27542638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedPen1992/pseuds/RedPen1992
Summary: The punishment undergone as penitence of a sin.
Relationships: Akainu | Sakazuki/Kizaru | Borsalino
Series: Beast Au [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1933006
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	Penance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tiburion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiburion/gifts).



> For Tiburion
> 
> Based on this [Wonderful Art](https://ask-monkey-and-dog.tumblr.com/post/190426242063/monster-au-persuasion-failed-borsalino-needs-to)
> 
> Read the tags please :)

Several days after the incident, Borsalino took a knee before the fat snobby piece of decorated turd. The stuck up bastard wouldn’t even breathe the same air as the “commoners,” instead choosing to live life with his head in a ridiculous fishbowl. He wanted to shatter it and rip all of their throats out. 

Yet still, he knelt. 

Not because of loyalty or fealty or anything along those lines, but because he was a slave. They plucked him and countless others from their homes, their dens, their families, and forced a new life onto them full of unrewarding labor and hardship. 

Yet still, he smiled. 

“Beast Captain, what the hell happened?” The Noble spat, rising from his throne with all the grace of a drunk bear. “Can you not control your pea brained subordinates?” 

Borsalino grit his teeth, eyes fixed on the ground, “Sir, I- Gahhh-!” His muscles spasmed and seized as the guard to his left jabbed the electric cattle prod into his side. His back drew taut, arms curling into his body, The clapping noise of the electricity was all he could hear. 

The noble waved and the shocking ceased, Borsalino’s body collapsed. “Did I say you could talk?!” 

Borsalino was left panting on the ground, a fire burning in his chest, he could feel the primal part of him clawing at its cage to get out. After the incident the walls were thin, having transformed recently meant that it would be easier to do it again. He grit his teeth and did all he could not to let out a snarl or growl. He had to stay compliant. 

Obey. 

The Captain shakily got back up to kneeling position, though with a significantly foggier head. 

“Now, there has to be retribution for what happened, don’t you think? Beast?” 

Borsalino shook with effort not to react, his claws dug into his knee to distract him from the fact that the Noble had invaded his personal space, was leaning over and trying to get a good look at his face. He kept his eyes downcast, staring a hole into the floor. Borsalino had seen what happened to those who looked the Nobles in the eyes… it wasn’t pretty. 

“Huh, this one is starting to learn manners.” The noble scoffed and kicked him. “Scum.” 

He retreated back to the throne, sitting his fat obtuse body down and rolling to the side, one hand supporting the ridiculous bubble around his head, “Alright, bring the other one out.” 

Borsalino tensed, his claws drew blood. 

Sure enough, several guards all armed with cattle prods, silver swords sheathed in their holsters and spears entered the Throne Room, the largest one of them holding one end of a chain connected to a silver slave collar. 

Sakazuki snarled through his muzzle and resisted, lashing out with as much ferocity he could muster after having both his hands and ankles bound. They tugged him across the room, stumbling and grunting, bringing him beside Borsalino. One of the guards kicked the back of his knees, forcing him to kneel before the Noble. 

Sakazuki attempted to get back up, but Borsalino’s hand shot out faster, grabbing the nape of his neck and forcing his head down in a bowing position. 

Sakazuki’s eyes snapped over to him accompanied by a vehement growl, Borsalino remained undeterred, staring at the ground and tightened his grip in warning. 

Sakazuki resisted him for a few moments before he stopped abruptly, taking a few quick inhalations through his nose, scenting the air. 

He probably smelled Borsalino’s blood, felt it trickling down the back of his neck. Borsalino hadn’t realised he had dug that deep into his knee, the blood there oozing down his shin. 

The unruly wolf-beast side eyed him with something that may have passed for concern, Borsalino huffed as a corner of his lip twitched upwards. 

“Ahehehehe!” The shrill voice of the Noble grated their ears. “The dogs have to Ahehehehe reign each other in! Ahehehehehe”

Borsalino made sure to keep his grip firm on Sakazuki, lest he try to jump up again. Oddly enough, he seemed to calm down with the touch, his breaths becoming more steady. Borsalino could swear that he even leaned into it. 

After three days of solitary confinement, who could blame him? Borsalino’s thumb absently rubbed circles near the junction of his neck and jaw, trying his best to further calm him. The last thing they needed was another incident. 

The Noble made a gesture as he continued his screeching laughter and one of the guards charged up the shock pole and drove it into Borsalino’s side. 

“Nnnnn-g” Borsalino grit his teeth as his body spasmed and jerked, he had anticipated it in just enough time to let go of Sakazuki, so he wouldn't have to share his undue punishment. 

It went on for some amount of time before the Noble gave the wordless order to cease, Borsalino was sure he blacked out at some point because he didn’t remember falling to the ground. Every fibre of his being felt like one big cramp and was horribly rigid. 

His eyes blinked slowly, his world blurring in and out of focus for a few seconds before he realised that the distant laughing was not so distant any more. Gaudy expensive looking shoes stepped into his direct line of sight as he struggled to gain his bearings. 

Borsalino heard a familiar guttural growl, full of malicious intent and fury. 

“N-no…” Borsalino whispered under his breath, he hoped that the Noble wouldn’t hear it over his own inane raucous laughter, “please…don’t...” 

The bright sounds of chains being pulled hurt his sensitive ears as he scrunched his eyes shut and focused on moving his hands into a position to begin lifting himself up. His muscles were uncooperative and stiff, spasming in random directions against his will. It felt like he wasn’t in control of his body at all before one of his arms gave out and he collapsed back onto the pristine marble floor. 

Thud. Thud. Thud. It continued on like that. 

It was a sound he knew well, the sound of a beating. When he opened his eyes to the harsh light of the room again his eyes contracted painfully, revealing the blurred image of several guards bringing their poles down on Sakazuki with as much force as they could. 

The idiot had tried to get up again, he already had a knee under him and looked ready to lunge. If the guard that was holding his collar chain gave up even a centimeter more, Sakazuki would kill himself. 

No. He had to stop this. Borsalino fought his body again, heaving heavy shaking breaths and this time trying his hardest to get his feet under him. He needed to stop Sakazuki. 

He would not see him die, not now. Not today. Not for something as moronic as attacking a Noble. 

Borsalino bared his teeth, feeling the fangs extend. He reached into the primal side of himself and tugged on tendrils of rage and fury, he felt the pull and ache of his legs as the bones shifted and extended, the tearing of his muscles as they reformed, bulked up and morphed into a monstrosity half way between his forms. The seams of his pants tore loudly, drawing the attention of both the Noble and Sakazuki, whipping their heads around to witness the partial transformation of the Beast Captain. 

After a few moments, Sakazuki’s snarling and spitting increased tenfold, his renewed struggling prompting the guards to bring their sticks down on him with renewed fervor. The pain seemed to do very little to deter Sakazuki. The Wolf-Beast flashed his fangs and extended his claws, his transformation being stifled by the silver collar around his neck. 

The noble took a few steps back, laughter ceasing, the scent of pungent fear heavy in the air. It was a good response. From his perspective, he no doubt thought that both Beasts were rising against him. 

Sakazuki definitely thought along those lines. 

The guard holding the collar chain slipped, Sakazuki seized the moment. He lunged forwards, chained hands extended outwards, claws at the ready to rend flesh and bone alike into strings. 

Borsalino lept, propelled by his enhanced limbs and intercepted Sakazuki mid-air before he could so much as scratch the Noble. 

The two of them tumbled several meters in a mess of limbs skidding across the floor before Borsalino’s back impacted a pillar. Hard. He yelped as Sakazuki’s weight slammed into him, the air knocked out of his body. 

It was dark.

He felt someone shift their weight around, snarling incomprehensibly. 

He tried to move around but his body felt so heavy. 

Was he in his bed? No, he was on the hard floor somewhere cold, he wanted whomever it was that just moved away from him to come back. Borsalino tried to open his eyes, but it was much too painful. Wherever he was, it was too bright. He also belatedly realized his ears were ringing and felt a wet feeling at the back of his head, something dripping around his ears. 

Damnit. 

Borsalino had hit his head, and had a concussion. 

He heard a pathetic noise, a whining plea of a dying animal that silenced even the aggressive snarling and growling of his companion. 

Whomever made that noise was in trouble.

He needed to help. It was his duty as Captain to protect the other Beasts. 

Borsalino tried to move his body, but only managed to slide his arms along the ground, his legs felt unresponsive and tingly… he tried to move his feet, but it felt as if they were far away and foriegn, as if deep underwater and out of reach. 

He felt a tentative hand on his shoulder, someone was touching him as if he was made of glass, shifting him slightly. Borsalino leaned into it, it was warm and distantly familiar. Whomever it was, they smelled nice and right. He wanted to be wrapped in it and fall asleep to this scent. 

Borsalino let his body relax into the floor, breathing out slowly, ready to fall asleep. 

He heard another whimper, but this one felt different, full of desperation and broken. It also sounded muffled somehow. The hand on his shoulder shook him harder, the distressed sounds becoming more frantic. 

But he is so tired. 

The sudden absence of the hand on his body left Borslaino feeling cold, he cracked his eye open in just enough time to see the figure kneeling next to him contort in pain after being jabbed with the electric side of a cattle prod. The clapping of the electricity made him flinch instinctively. 

His companion collapsed in a heap next to him, his body radiating warmth, Borsalino reached out for him before he knew what he was doing. Those pained low rumbling growls so familiar… Saka- 

Sakazuki. 

Sakazuki is in trouble. New strength fueled by panic flooded into his body as Borsalino slowly realised his situation. He was in the throne room, the Noble was prancing around nearby saying something incomprehensible, garbled noises and a whining voice screeching on registers that hurt Borsalino’s ears. There were several guards all armed to the teeth looming around them. 

The noble gestured at Sakazuki flippantly, saying something to the big guard who had picked up Sakazuki’s collar chain, who started to pull the other Beast away from him, yanking hard and forcing the other into a kneeling position. 

Borsalino struggled to get his body into motion, belatedly realising he couldn’t move his legs. Pinpricks of pain danced all over his lower half, as if a rose bush had inserted itself under his skin. The cold vice of fear gripped him as he tried to prop himself up, only to be forced back onto the ground as excruciating pain shot up his spine. His world blanched for a moment as he focused on trying to breathe through the torment. 

He heard another noise, a whine much like the first one. A dying animal in agony. Whomever that was, they were closeby. 

He had to get up. He had to help Sakazuki. 

The sharp clink of chains grabbed his attention as he looked over to see Sakazuki’s hands having been forced into a splayed position on the ground. One of the guards held the cuff chains attached to his wrists on the floor with his prod. Another guard handed the Noble a silver sword. 

“Ahehhehehehe!” 

Clarity started to come back to Borsalino as he struggled with keeping his head propped up enough to see properly, he heard Sakazuki snarl in response. The Wolf-Beast was jabbed again with the electric rod. 

“If you don’t serve me with those hands of yours, what use are they to you?” 

The noble’s cruel cold voice echoed off the high ceiling as he drove the sword down into the floor, through Sakazuki’s hand. 

Sakazuki’s body shook in pain, baring his teeth through his muzzle, hatred burning bright in his eyes. He was looking at the Noble directly. 

Borsalino had to stop this. 

Before Borsalino could so much as attempt to move, the Noble pulled the bloodied sword out of Sakazuki’s hand with a disgusting squelch and drove it down into his other one. The Beast clenched his jaw around the bit in his mouth, stifling any noises of pain he may have let loose. Blood pooled around his hands as the Noble wiggled the sword by the hilt playfully, humming some annoying tune. 

“Ahehehehehe” The Noble drew the sword from Sakazuki’s hand and pranced around with the bloodied sword twirling in precarious motions. 

Borsalino hoped against hope he would accidentally drop the sword on his head. Before the Noble could do that though, he threw the weapon at one of his guards who fumbled to catch it without being cut themselves. 

“Alright I’m done playing with them today,” The bumbling plump piece of shit waved flippantly, “put them away now and clean up this mess.” 

The guards saluted and yanked on Sakazuki’s chain, forcing him to get to his feet and prodding him in the direction of the exit. 

Borsalino barely had the strength to protest as he too was dragged out of the throne room and dumped unceremoniously into his personal quarters. The guard that had been given the task had been large enough to throw him over his shoulder, but chose not to. Instead choosing to grab the back of his shirt and drag him down the hallways. 

Borsalino felt every bump and crack in the floor as his feet seemed to catch on every single one, the lancing pain barely caused any reaction from him at this point. He watched grimly as they bounced and dragged lifelessly, oddly detached. Borsalino could feel everything but couldn’t move them… it was as if it wasn’t his body at all, but instead a piece of a doll, or tacked on as a mannequin part. 

The Beast Captain lay on the ground staring at the ceiling for a while. They would have probably thrown Sakazuki back to his solitary room in the lower dungeons. 

It wasn’t as if he could do anything about it. Especially now. 

Borsalino could see the sunlight through the high barred windows, and based on the light’s position on the wall it must still be morning. 

The stone floor under him was horribly uncomfortable, if only he could drag himself to his bed he would be able to get a much better sleep and recovery. As long as his body hadn’t been hacked off he had some faith that it would heal itself in time, eventually he would regain the use of his legs and he would go help Sakazuki as soon as strength returned to him. 

Pulling an arm under him and twisting his body around shot pain anew up his spine, forcing him to collapse onto the ground again. 

There was that whine again, that dying animal… but no one was here but him. The guards had slammed the door shut behind them. 

Was he the one making all of those sounds? 

Of course. 

Dejected, Borsalino lowered himself back onto the ground on his back; it was excruciating, but he needed to heal before he attempted anything more. 

“Sakazuki,” _hold on._

His heavy eyelids slid closed, Borsalino gave into the tiredness and let the darkness envelope him. 

When he woke, the sunlight was gone, darkness blanketed the room as he tried to shift his body around. 

Finally his legs responded to him, though through an extremely painful haze. Every minute shift of his feet prompted a wave of pinpricks much like being bit by a thousand razor jawed beetles. 

Picking himself off the ground was grueling, but he had no time to pay mind to his pain. 

Memories of what happened that morning flooded his mind, _Sakazuki is hurt. Sakazuki needs my help._

Borsalino stumbled his way over to the large chest at the back of his room, picking up the bag of emergency medical supplies and slinging it over his shoulder. 

That was a mistake. 

The extra forty pounds of weight on his back was not welcome to his body and it didn’t shy in telling him that. His legs gave out under him and he fell to his knees, another broken whine escaped his lips, at least this time he wasn’t so disoriented that he thought it to be another beast. 

With a grunt he struggled to stand again, this time with the bag’s strap over his neck and cradling the weight of it under one arm. 

Each shaking step his legs took threatened to give out from underneath him, his quivering joints screamed at him to just lie upon his bed and rest some more, to wait until he had healed enough to walk properly. 

Distantly Borsalino acknowledged that pushing himself so hard during the healing process may cause permanent damage, but that didn’t matter. 

Too much time had passed already and Sakazuki was in extreme unsanitary conditions without any medical treatment. That idiot would be lucky at this point if his wounds hadn’t been infected already. 

Every step was a monumental challenge upon itself as he struggled down the long hallways and corridors, supporting himself on the walls and gripping the rails of the stairs with white knuckles. 

Eventually he made his way to the dungeon.

Holding the rank of Captain within the small militia had its advantages, one being his set of skeleton keys. 

The stench of excrement and urine assaulted his senses, death seeped out from some of the cells. No doubt some bodies were left to decay where they lie, chained to the walls until the next unfortunate soul needed to be shackled there.

When he finally reached Sakazuki’s cell he almost cried with relief, the scent of fresh blood wafted in the air. Good. He wasn’t dead at least. 

Opening the giant steel door was remarkably painful, his muscles ached and screamed for him to stop. His legs once again threatened to give out, but he held tight to the handle and pulled with all of his might. 

The door squeaked and protested against him as it scraped across the floor with a maddening metal screech. 

Once he was inside the door slammed shut behind him, the only light falling through the cracks and small feeding window of the door from the torch lit hallway. 

Borsalino set the bag of medical supplies down on the ground, opening the bag and taking a small bottle of antiseptic out along with a clean cloth rag. 

Chains rattled signalling that Sakazuki had risen to greet him, good. Borsalino didn’t know if he would have been able to lug the heavy bag over to him, his whole body felt like one big bruise, sharp pain came and went as he stood still.

He approached Sakazuki gingerly, the proud beast shackled to the walls by the short chain around his neck. He reached out and took Sakazuki’s mangled hands, giving them a once over. It was pretty bad, whatever rag Sakazuki had wrapped around his hand was caked with blood in various stages of coagulation. Too much time had passed already, if he left them like this for too much longer they would become infected and life-threatening. 

"Don't even bother." Sakazuki ripped his hands out of Borsalino's grasp, jarring the wounds and making small trickles of blood seep out. Droplets splattered on the floor, and as Borsalino glanced down as his own hands he saw skarlet smears on them too.

"Sakazuki, it will get infected if I don't treat them, give me your hands." Borsalino stretched a hand out expectantly, palm up. Please. 

"What the hell do you care? If you had let me kill the noble, this wouldn't have happened." Sakazuki bore his teeth at him and snarled, "None of this would have happened! Get the hell out of here." 

Borsalino stood his ground, though his legs shook with effort keeping him upright. Anger and frustration bubbled to the surface, he was only trying to help. "Sakazuki, I mean it." He took a step forward, reaching for Sakazuki's hands, "this isn't for me, it's for you."

Borsalino realised his mistake too late, crowding Sakazuki was never a good idea. The shove he received in return for his brash actions wasn’t entirely surprising, but the pained yelp that escaped him was. Blinding pain shot up his spine as his legs gave out and he crumpled to the ground. The medical supplies fell out of his hand and the bottle of antiseptic shattered on the stone floor. 

Borsalino heard the chains rattle again, Sakazuki straining against them to reach him. A low growl emanated from the deep in the wolf-beast’s chest. _Concern?_ It’s a little late for that. 

He huffed a pathetic chuckle as he lay on the ground, not sure he had the energy to stand again. 

“Heh~ oh, Saka-san.” He hadn’t the energy left to even be mad at his mate for his rash actions, shifting one leg and trying to get it under him again, only for it to quickly slip out from under him again. The action jarred his spine enough for him to see white again, he tried to hide his pained whine with a heavy sigh. It didn’t sound convincing. 

The sharp smell of the alcohol burned his nose. “There is more in the bag.” His voice sounded more tired than he realized he was. “I’ll get it.” 

It was dark. 

He was sure he heard distant shouting, was that his name? Was he being called? 

The darkness enveloped him in a cold blanket that reeked of putrid rot and something else obscenely vile. His skin freckled with gooseflesh and marred with abrasions from the ground numbed under the suffocating cold.

Had he closed his eyes? He could smell Sakazuki, his scent warm and alive. That’s what mattered. 

He is going to get it, the antiseptic, he is going to treat Sakazuki’s wounds. He shifted his head and felt something wet, had he hit his head? Had he passed out? For how long?

“Borsalino, stop.” 

Was that Sakazuki? It sounded like Sakazuki. He fought the foggy haze that drifted over his mind.

Borsalino shifted an arm to help prop himself up, only for the sharp sting of glass cutting his hand to greet him. Oh. right. He had dropped the bottle. 

A low growl, threatening? Concerned? Borsalino wasn’t sure but it was soothing in a way. 

It was close. Sakazuki was so close but too far away. Borsalino yearned for his touch. 

“Stop. Rest you fool.” 

Yeah, rest sounds good. "But… Ahh-!" Horribly sharp pain shot through his body, flooding his senses and blurring his vision. His muscles cramped and spasmed, obviously he hadn't passed out in a very comfortable position on the dirty stone ground. 

Chains rattled and clanged against each other, the crude links grinding against larger pieces of metal bolted securely into the stone wall accompanied by labored huffing.

After a resigned sigh, another growl rumbled through the air, this he knew. Warm, relaxing, pacifying if not a bit strained. Vibrations low in Sakazuki's chest reverberated through the air and lulled Borsalino into an uneasy relaxation. 

"Rest now. I'm here." The deep tones that Sakazuki reached washed over Borsalino’s body like a calming wave. 

That's right. Sakazuki is here with him. It would be alright. As long as they were alive they would be alright. 

“I reached the cloth you brought, I’ll be fine until you have healed.” 

Good. As long as Sakazuki will be alright he can rest. Just for a little while. He can allow himself to rest. 

Borsalino shifted his legs so that they were no longer curled up, stretching the muscles out and letting them lie flat on the ground. His back protested, but it felt good to lay out like this. Still it was dark, and he hated the dark, but he hadn’t the strength to open his eyes. 

The deep rumbling continued, Sakazuki’s efforts to ease him back into the sleep that he needed. Borsalino tried fruitlessly to lean into the warmth of it. Just out of reach. “Saka-san?” What he wanted was unattainable, but he wanted the meaningless reassurance anyways. 

“Yes?” 

“Don’t leave me.” _Don’t leave me to the dark. Don’t leave me alone. I’ve been left behind before, don’t leave me all by myself._ “I don’t think-” 

“Never.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
